See how different plants that grow in Toronto (AgCanada hardiness zone 6; USDA zone 5) look all year round and at different stages in their life cycles.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, April 2010

This bloom day we're enjoying lots of different blooms in our garden!

Native plants

Waldsteinia fragaroides (barren strawberry, waldsteinie faux-fraisier). I have fond memories of this plant from my childhood surrounded by the forest in eastern Ontario. Barren strawberries formed big patches a few metres across, even in heavy shade as I recall.
Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells, mertensie de Virginie). This is the first year we've had Virginia bluebells in our garden. I'd read about the buds turning from pink to blue as they open, but this is the first time I've seen it. I love the colours!

Other plants

Chionodoxa forbesii (glory of the snow, gloire des neiges)
Hyacinthus orientalis (hyacinth, jacinthe)
Lamprocapnos spectabilis (bleeding heart, coeur-saignant) (apparently the scientific name has been changed).
Tulipa tarda (tarda tulip, tulipe tarda)
Tulipa (tulip, tulipe). I don't know where this tulip and the one below came from—gifts from the squirrels, perhaps?

I have gotten a few things from the squirrels. I guess they are better than the rabbits - even if they do dig up some of my things, they sometimes leave me gift - the rabbits try to eat up everything and only leave me round fertilizer pellets in return. Fertilizer is not much use for dead plants.